Household charge to worsen personal debt crisis

THE consumer debt crisis is deepening, with the amount of personal debt being pursued through the courts rising tenfold in five years.

As the Government announced plans to squeeze another €100 a year out of hard-pressed families with its household charge, figures show €230 million in debt judgments were registered against consumers in the first six months of this year, compared to €23m in the first six months of 2007.

But these numbers underestimate the scale of the problem as they only represent High Court judgments. Thousands of other cases are pursued in the district and circuit courts.